Tubular knitted fabric and method



Oct. 22, 1963 c, MANGER 3,107,510

TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD Filed Sept. 16, 1966" 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A B C D E F 7 H I S S K 8 Q Q I3 Bi Fig.1.

Oct. 22, 1963 c. F. MANGER 3,107,510

' TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD Filed Sept. 16. I960 s Sheets-Sheet 2 nmum ik Oct. 22, 1963 c. F. MANGER 3,107,510

' TUBULAR mm FABRIC AND moo Filed Sept. 16, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 @5 M WW Units This invention is for improvements in or relating to tubular knitted fabric and articles and methods of producing them and is particularly concerned with the provision of a knitted article having one portion formed of double ply fabric and another portion of single ply fabric. The invention is specially applicable to knitted footwear and has as an object in that connection to provide an article and method of making it which can be constructed economically and is particularly comfortable in wear.

In the specification of our US. Patent No. 2,714,813, there is disclosed a fabric partly formed of double ply construction, an article of footwear incorporating such fabric and a method of production suitable for practising on a circular knitting machine having two feeding stations, the respective plies of fabric at the double ply area being knitted at the two respective feeding points. The fabric structure disclosed in said specification is however unsuitable for production on a circular knitting machine having more than two feeding stations and the invention accordingly seeks to provide a fabric construction and method suitable to the larger number of feeding stations.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided seamless circular knitted fabric comprising a double layer portion for part of its course-wise extent and a single layer portion for another part of its course-wise extent, said double layer portion having at least one of its layers formed from a plurality of yarns knitted sequentially in different courses. The invention thus provides a fabric having the advantages of a partially double ply construction which can be knitted on a circular machine having more than two feeding stations.

In carrying out the invention it is convenient to arrange that as in said earlier specification the stitches of the outer ply of the double ply portion of the fabric are outwardly facing and the stitches of the inner ply are in Wardly facing. in a convenient form of fabric suitable for production on -a three feeder machine the fabric of one ply of the double ply portion, preferably the inner ply, is composed of alternate courses of one yarn and intervening courses of another yarn while the other ply is knited entirely from a third yarn, all three yarns being inter-knitted with one another along each side of the said double layer portion in at least one wale of the single layer portion and at each end of said double layer portion.

The invention is conveniently applied to an article of knitted footwear which is formed of fabric as aforesaid having the double layer portion of fabric located along the sole of the foot. Such an article of footwear conveniently has a circularly knitted leg portion and reciprocatorily knitted heel and toe portions, with the said double layer portion forming the sole extending between said heel and toe portions and extending over at least as great a part of the circumference of the foot as is occupied by the heel.

The invention includes a method of knitting seamless tubular fabric which comprises knitting a circular course, knitting a succeeding course from a first yarn by drawing stitches of said yarn through consecutive stitches of said circular course in a first part thereof and drawing stitches of said yarn through alternate stitches only of said course in a second part thereof, knitting a succeeding course from a second yarn by drawing stitches of the second yarn through at least some of the stitches in the first rates Patent Eflhifiifi Patented Oct. 22, 1963 of the stitches in the first part of the preceding course.

and through stitches of said second yarn in the second part of the preceding course, knitting a further course from the first yarn by drawing stitches thereof through stitches in the first part of the preceding course and through stitches of the [first yarn in the second part of the course last knitted from the first yarn and continuing knitting sequential courses of said first, second and third yarns in like manner.

The method may be practised in knitting a circular seamless fabric on a circular knitting machine having coaxial needle cylinders and needles transferable from one cylinder to the other by the procedure of first knitting a circular course using, in one portion of the circumference of the needle cylinder, alternate needles in the upper cylinder and intervening needles in the lower cylinder, feeding a yarn at a first feeding station to the lower cylinder needles only in said portion of the circumference of the cylinder and to active needles of both cylinders in another portion of the cylinder circumference, operating the needles to draw stitches of said yarn, feeding second and third yarns at second and third feeding stations to upper cylinder needles only in the first mentioned portion of the cylinder circumference and to active needles of both cylinders in the second mentioned portion of the cylinder circumference, operating the needles to draw stitches of the second and third yarn respectively and continuing sequentially feeding and knitting of the said yarns in like manner.

A preferred manner of carrying out the invention will now be described by way of example reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a stitch diagram of a portion of fabric in accordance with the invention incorporating both a single ply and a double ply portion;

FlGURE 2 is a view of a sock having a double ply sole, and

FIGURES 3, 4, and 5 are developed views showing the cam layout for the upper and lower cylinders of a double cylinder knitting machine by which the improved fabric is produced.

Referring firstly to the fabric illustrated in 'FIG. 1 it will be seen that this comprises successive courses of circularly knitted fabric indicated by the numerals 1 to 11 and consecutive wales indicated by the letters A to H. The diagram shows at the top a normal course of knitting 11 followed by a course 2 from which the double ply structure is to commence, course 2 being shown as knitted for a wide rib structure. In course 3, which is knitted from a yarn y, the first part of the course at wales A to'D has the normal continuing structure but, over wales -E to H, knitting occurs only in alternate wales E and G on bottom cylinder needles. Course '4 is knitted with a second yarn yl on all needles in wales A to D but on intervening alternate needles located in the top cylinder over wales E to H, stitches being formed only in Wales F and H. The knitting of yarns y and yl occurs at two different feed points and at a third feed point a third yarn yZ is employed to form course 5 which at Wales A to D continues the formation of a single ply fabric and in wales E to H knits only on alternate needles in the top cylinder at wales F and H being looped through loops of yarn yl. At courses 6 to 8 and lg to 11 respectively the knitting sequence is repeated as for courses 3 to 5 and it will be seen 7 and the other ply being knitted from alternate courses of yarns 3 1 and y2. The knitting sequence is continued so long as the double ply structure is required. -It will be noted that at the double ply structure, the ply formed from yarn y has extra long loops indicated at 12 reaching across two intervening courses, while in the other ply one set of alternate courses knitted from yarn y1 is shown as having normal sized loops while the other alternate set of courses knitted from yarn y2 has long loops 13 reaching over the extent of one intervening course. In practice, on relaxation, the loops in successive courses of the sec ond ply will tend to become equalised in the finished fabric.

The fabric structure shown in the drawing has outwardly facing loops in the ply formed from yarn y and also loops which face inwardly from the fabric in the ply formed from yarns yl and y2. Such double ply structure may be formed in the sole portion in the foot of an article of footwear such as a sock between the reciprocatorily knitted heel and toe pouches. At the double layer portion, the stitches of the outer layer are outwardly facing and the stitches of the inner layer are inwardly facing.

FIG. 2 illustrates a sock having a leg portion 14, rib top 15, reciprocatory knitted heel and toe pouches 16 and 17 and instep and sole portions 18 and 19. The sole portion 19 which in this case is knitted on precisely the same needles as are used for knitting the heel pouch 16 is composed of two plies indicated respectively at 20 and 21 while the instep 18 is of single ply fabric. The double ply fabric extends along the sole from the heel pouch 16 to the toe pouch 17 and is desirably caused to extend over at least as great a part of the circumference of the foot as that over which the front of the heel pouch extends. The fabric of the instep portion :18 corresponds to the single ply fabric seen on the left of FIG. 1 while the fabric on the sole 19 corresponds to the two ply fabric seen on the right of FIG. 1. The sole structure is such that the stitches of the outer ply 26 are formed from a single yarn y and are outwardly facing and the stitches of the inner ply 21 are formed from two yarns yl and 3 2 in alternating courses and are inwarldy facing. The leg portion 14 and instep 13 may be knitted of plain or rib fabric or may be of fancy rib (i.e. links-links) structure.

The sock of FIG. 2 is conveniently knitted on a three feed circular knitting machine having two coaxial cylinders and having double ended needles which are operable in either cylinder and are transferable from one cylinder to the other. When in the bottom cylinder the needles are operated by bottom cylinder sliders 22, FIG. 4, having knitting butts 23 and transfer butts 24 engaging cams in a bottom cylinder cam box shown in development in FIG. 4 as seen from the inside of the cylinder. When in the top cylinder the needles are operated by similar but reversed top cylinder sliders 25, FIG. 3, having knitting butts 26 and transfer butts 27 engaging cams in the top cylinder cam box shown in development in FIG. 3 as seen from the inside of the cylinder.

The group of sliders 25 of the top cylinder associated with the group of needles used for knitting the heel and sole all have short knitting butts 26, while the remainder of the sliders 25 associated with needles used for knitting the instep all have longer knitting butts 26. In the case of the bottom sliders 22 alternate ones of the group thereof associated with the heel needles have long transfer butts 24 (for the l/l transfer) and intervening ones of that group have short transfer butts or no transfer butts. In the group of sliders 22 associated with the instep needles alternate ones are provided with medium length transfer buts 24 (for the l/l transfer) and the intervening ones have short transfer butts or no transfer butts.

In the top cam box there is a bolt earn 28 which can be moved to a fully inserted position to engage and operate both the short and longer knitting butts 26 or partly withdrawn to engage and operate only the longer butts 26 and miss the short butts.

The positions of the first, second and third feeding points in relation to the cams are indicated respectively at X, Y and Z in FIGS. 3 and 4. The tracking of the slider butts through the cam system is from right to left as seen in these figures, during continuous rotational knitting. Thus the dotted line 31 in FIG. 3 indicates the path of short butts 26 when the bolt cam 28 is partly withdrawn, and the diversion indicated by the chain line 31a indicates the path followed by longer butts 26 under this condition and also the path followed by all of the butts 26 when the bolt cam 28 is fully inserted. The paths of knitting butts 23 of the bottom cylinder sliders 22 are shown in FIG. 4, at 33 and 33a, and in order to cause these butts 23 to follow the tracks indicated use is made of a well known jack and jack cam part of the patterning mechanism which is provided to control individual sliders and give them movements not possible with the existing cams in their associated cam box. The selecting mechanism (not shown) is of the well known pin drum type having banks of selector cam levers which operate on selectors to raise them according to a pattern set out on the pin drum in known manner. There is one such selecting or patterning mechanism provided just before each of the feeding points X, Y, Z. As shown in FIG. 5 there is provided underneath each slider 22 a distance or trick piece 34 and a rocking jack 35. This rocking jack 35 can pivot about its bottom corner 36 and as it is carried around in its trick it is rocked outwardly by means of a hook like portion 37 being cammed outwardly from the cylinder by cams 38, 39 and 40. In this the outwardly rocked position a head 41 of the jack will project from the trick to contact and ride up cam slopes 42, 43 and 44 and will carry with it the distance piece 34 which will contact the slider 22 to raise it to the track 33a. Thus although bolt earns 29 and 30 are fully withdrawn, sliders 22 can still be raised to clearing height before feeding points X, Y and Z by means of the jacks and jack cam part of the selecting mechanism provided for patterning.

The pin drum selecting mechanism is used in conjunction with the jacks and jack cams in the following manner. When patterning, each actuated selector is raised by the appropriate selector cam lever associated with the pin drum in known manner and the selector has a head which contacts the slope 45 of the jack 35 FIG. 5 at a position during a revolution of the cylinder at which the jack has just been rocked outwardly as previously described. Thus the jack will be rocked inwardly and its head 41 will be withdrawn so that it will miss the cam slope 42, 43 or 44 and will not raise the distance piece 34, and therefore the slider 22 above it will remain down in track 33. The selectors associated with the heel group of needles are controlled as a group to cause them when required to act upon and depress their rocking jacks so that their associated sliders 22 and needles remain down and miss a particular feed, or to prevent them from contacting their jacks, thereby allowing the jacks to ride up their cam and lift their associated sliders 22 and needles to clearing height so that the needles knit at the next feed point.

By reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 it will be seen that the stitch cams in the top cam box at the first, second and third feeds areindicated at 46, 47 and 48 respectively, and that the forward stitch cams in the bottom cam box at the first, second and third feeding points are indicated at 49, 50 and 51 respectively. In the bottom cam box at the first feeding point there is a centre cam 52 and a reverse or heeling stitch cam 53 used in reciprocatory knitting.

In knitting a sock as shown in FIG. 2 the top 15, leg 14 and instep 18 are knitted in orthodox manner. As the knitting of the heel is about to commence, any needles of the heel group in the top cylinder are caused to be transferred down so that all the heel group of needles are in the bottom cylinder. Knitting of the heel proceeds at feeding point X by reciprocation with narrowing and Widening in known manner.

As soon as the heel has been completed and rotary knitting commences alternate ones of the heel group of needles, being those associated with sliders 22 having longer transfer butts 24, are transferred to the top cylinder so that the only heel needles remaining in the bottom cylinder are those whose sliders have short transfer butts or no butts 24 at all. At this stage the bolt cam 28 in FIG. 3 is partly Withdrawn so that it will only en gage long butts 26, and bolt cams 29 and FIG. 4 remain fully withdrawn to miss all butts 23. Thus all needles of the instep group in the top cylinder will be on sliders 25 having long knitting butts 26 and will knit at each of three feeding points X, Y and Z, while needles in the bottom cylinder are all controlled by the jack cams and rocking jacks 35, bolt cams 29 and 30 being fully withdrawn. Bottom cylinder needles of the instep group will be raised by virtue of their jacks at cams 42, 43 and 44 to knit at each of the three feeding points X, Y and Z, excepting of course those needles which are allowed to stay down according to the pattern set out on the pin drum and whose selectors have been raised to depress their associated rocking jack 35.

Those needles of the heel group which have been transferred to the top cylinder'will be on sliders 25 having short knitting butts 26. They will therefore follow the dotted line track 31 throughout and will knit only at the second and third feeding points Y and Z, passing the feeding point X at a level at which they cannot take the yarn. The needles of the heel group remaining in the bottom cylinder after the heel has been knitted will be operated from the jack cams. These needles are ones whereof the associated selectors are controlled in a group as above mentioned. By this means the needles of the heel group in the bottom cylinder are caused to follow the dotted line track 33 FIG. 4 throughout, remaining down at second and third feeding points Y and Z by virtue of their selectors being lifted as a group so that they depress their rocking jacks to prevent them being lifted by cams 42 and 43. However, just before the said needles reach the first feeding point X their associated selectors are prevented from contacting their jacks. Consequently their associated jacks are not depressed and are caused to ride up cam 44 thus lifting their sliders and needles to clearing height so as to knit at feed point X.

As none of the selectors associated with the instep group of needles are controlled in the manner just described they will pass through each of the three patterning units and control their needles to miss or knit according to the pattern set-out of these units.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that the foot 18 and 19 of the sock shown in FIG. 2 is constructed of a single layer three feed fabric instep portion 18 which may be ribbed and patterned and a double layer sole portion 19 in which the inner layer is rib knit at two feeds of a three feed double cylinder machine and the outer layer is plain knit at one feed of a three feed double cylinder machine courses of knitting of both layers being produced in a single revolution of the needle cylinder.

At the conclusion of the foot 18 and 19 all needles in the top cylinder are transferred down to the bottom cylinder and knit a few courses of plain fabric before making the toe by reciprocation in the usual manner. The toe pocket is knitted on the heel group of needles or with a suitably modified cam and butt layout may be knitted on the instep group of needles.

It will be seen that by the manner of knitting just described the sole part 19 of the foot of the sock is knitted of two ply fabric having an outer ply composed of long outwardly facing stitches and an inner ply composed of shorter inwardly facing stitches. The relevant stitch cams may be arranged to be adjusted at appropriate times to provide for stitches of the required length to be drawn so that both plies of the sole fabric are of approximately the same length and width.

What I claim is:

1. Seamless circular knitted fabric comprising a double layer portion for part of its coursewise extent and a single layer portion for another part of its coursewise extent; wherein one layer of the double layer portion is composed of alternate courses of one yarn and intervening courses of another yarn, the other layer being knitted entirely from a third yarn and all three yarns being interknitted with one another along each side of the double layer portion in at least one Wale of the single layer portion and at each end of such double layer portion.

2. A method of knitting seamless tubular fabric which comprises knitting a circular course, knitting a succeeding course from a first yarn by drawing stitches of said yarn through consecutive stitches of said circular course in a first part thereof and drawing stitches of said yarn through alternate stitches only of said course in a second part thereof, knitting a succeeding course from a second yarn by drawing stitches of the second yarn through at least some of the stitches in the' first part of the preceding course and through the intervening alternate stitches of the second part of the first mentioned circular course, knitting a succeeding course from a third yarn by drawing stitches thereof through at least some of the stitches in the first pant of the preceding course and through stitches of said second yarn in the second part of the preceding course, knitting a further course from the first yarn by drawing stitches thereof through stitches in the first part of the preceding course and through stitches of the first yarn in the second part of the course last knitted from the first yarn, and continuing knitting sequential courses of said first, second and third yarns in like manner.

3. A method'of knitting a circular seamless fabric on a circular knitting machine having oo-axial needle cylinders and needles transferable from one cylinder to the other, comprising first knitting a circular course using, in one portion of the circumference of the needle cylinder, alternate needles in the upper cylinder and intervening needles in the lower cylinder, feeding yarn at a first feeding station to the lower cylinder needles only in said portion of the circumference of the cylinder and to active needles of both cylinders in another portion of the cylinder circumference, operating the needles to draw stitches of said yarn, feeding second and third yarns at second and third feeding stations to upper cylinder needles only in the first mentioned portion of the cylinder circumference and to active needles of both cylinders in the second mentioned portion of the cylinder circumference, operating the needles to draw stitches of the second and third yarns respectively and continuing sequentially feeding and knitting of the said yarns in like manner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 473,474 Pepper Apr. 26, 1892 2,073,487 Lawson et a1. Mar. 9, 1937 2,714,813 Hill Aug. 9, 1955 3,046,760 Peberdy July 31, 1962 

1. SEAMLESS CIRCULAR KNITTED FABRIC COMPRISING A DOUBLE LAYER PORTION FOR PART OF ITS COURSEWISE EXTENT AND A SINGLE LAYER PORTION FOR ANOTHER PART OF ITS COURSEWISE EXTENT; WHEREIN ONE LAYER OF THE DOUBLE LAYER PORTION IS COMPOSED OF ALTERNATE COURSES OF ONE YARN AND INTERVENING COURSES OF ANOTHER YARN, THE OTHER LAYER BEING KNITTED ENTIRELY FROM A THIRD YARN AND ALL THREE YARNS BEING INTERKNITTED WITH ONE ANOTHER ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE DOUBLE LAYER PORTION IN AT LEAST ONE WALE OF THE SINGLE LAYER PORTION AND AT EACH END OF SUCH DOUBLE LAYER PORTION. 